Job security at the DfT

Nope – you’re wrong.  

The average tenure of a Premier League Manager is 1.8 years.  At the Transport Department you get about 1.5.

The Chief Executive of the League Managers’ Association, Richard Bevan, says that,

‘The game and its leaders need to take a longer-term view and build stability’.  

He goes on to criticise the short termism in the sport and makes the point that planning and success tend to go hand in hand, with constant churn of leadership rarely resulting in good performance.

Which makes you think about how the Department for Transport is routinely led.  Of course we all know that being in politics is a volatile job.

But since the year 2000 we have had 11 different politicians leading the DfT.  

We’ve only had 4 Prime Ministers.  4 Chancellors.  7 in charge of the Foreign Office, 7 at Health, 8 at Defence.

It makes you wonder why the DfT seems to get through its bosses so quickly.  Is it that nobody actually wants the job and so leap at the first chance they get to move on?  Is it that nobody is any good and so they quickly get fired (it doesn’t seem to be that when you consider where previous incumbents are now).

But it does make you wonder exactly how much long term thinking and planning goes into the work of the DfT.  

As we begin the long march towards the General Election in June, many of us will be looking out for key things in which we have an interest. Brexit is likely to be a key area of discussion and debate, the NHS, taxation will interest us all of course.

But for me, I live in hope that transport gets mentioned and discussed.  I hope that whoever wins the election has a clear vision and plan for our sector.  I hope they listen to those of us who know the opportunities and the challenges we face and that they commit to having a meaningful engagement with the sector moving forward.

Transport and its associated industries have been ignored or overlooked for too long.  Let’s hope that we’ve had enough short termism and barely there bosses at the DfT.

David Coombes, Founder and Managing Director of Logistics Job Shop

Follow me on Twitter @DavidCoombesSfL